Chicago Public Schools Teachers Named Yale National Fellows

CHICAGO - Six Chicago Public Schools (CPS) teachers have been selected to participate in a national program to strengthen teaching in public schools. Recently recognized as Yale National Fellows, these educators will participate in a series of intensive seminars to develop their leadership and curriculum development skills through the Yale National Initiative. The six CPS educators selected to participate in this professional development initiative are among a select group of only 44 public school teachers from 14 school districts nationwide who will participate in the program.

“Ensuring our teachers have access to opportunities for long-term professional development improves the quality of education in our schools and the District at large,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “We want every teacher, in every neighborhood, to have the resources and training they need to provide our students with a high-quality education that helps our students build fulfilling and meaningful lives.”

The CPS educators participating in the Yale National Fellows program in Connecticut this summer are:

• Kathie Ang, Walter Payton College Preparatory High School
• Brandon Barr, Mark Twain Elementary
• Nancy Ibarra, Seward Communication Arts Academy
• Adriana Lopez, Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School
• Jessica Mason, Anna R. Langford Academy
• Ricardo Moreno, Richard Edwards Dual Language Fine and Performing Arts IB School

“Intentional and targeted professional development helps our teachers feel connected, engaged, and challenged in their roles,” said CPS Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova. “Ultimately, our students benefit when teachers are actively improving their skills in an effort to connect and provide students with the best possible educational experience they can offer.”

Brandon Barr, a product of CPS, has worked for the District for 17 years. He has served as a teacher at Mark Twain Elementary School for the past eight years and as a Yale Fellow for the past nine years, where he currently serves as a seminar coordinator.

"Going to Yale each year feels like a homecoming with my teacher family," said Barr. “Everyone is there to improve their practice, tap into the resources that Yale has to offer us and work together to support one another with feedback and encouragement. After many years teaching, this type of community is needed to sustain my practice and to keep me thriving in the classroom."

CPS’ Yale National Fellows will attend seminars focused on high-quality professional development that foster leadership skills and a deeper knowledge of the subjects they teach. Participants will write a curriculum unit to use in their classroom and Yale will make it available to other teachers. The curriculum units developed by our staff will align with CPS academic standards and assist teachers in engaging and educating their students.

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